The Case for Cats

In the United States, kill-shelter execution is the leading cause of feline death, a result that stems directly from overpopulation. In 2013, more than 3,000 cats in Cincinnati’s shelter system were killed. In Indianapolis, more than 3,500 cats met the same fate. Tens of thousands of cats nationwide never find their forever home and instead are put to death every year. Kill-shelter execution is a preventable tragedy.

How to Help

Help spread The Joanie Bernard Foundation’s mission—creating a no-kill nation for cats—with these simple suggestions:

Spay and neuter your cats. Even indoor cats can escape and add to feline overpopulation.

Adopt new feline friends from a shelter versus a breeder or pet store and help make room for other homeless cats. Find shelters the Foundation supports via the What the Foundation Funds Map.

Educate others on the importance of spaying, neutering and adopting cats.

A Simple Fix

Spaying and neutering are the simplest, most humane methods for saving lives and controlling the feline population. Contrary to popular myths, these routine surgical procedures do no harm to our feline friends. Rather, spaying and neutering can lead to longer, healthier cat lives with no alteration to personality or playfulness.

Spaying and neutering prevent many reproductive cancers and diseases in both female and male cats. Neutered males exhibit a reduced tendency to spray urine; spayed females no longer wail and yowl. Both are less likely to roam, keeping them safe at home and away from cars. More important, an altered cat helps prevent feline lives lost to overpopulation.

A cat may be spayed or neutered as early as 8 weeks of age and can reproduce as young as 4 months. Talk to a veterinarian about timing and clinic options. In the Cincinnati area, Ohio Alley Cat Resource and UCAN offer high-quality, low-cost spay and neuter clinics. Spay and neuter vouchers may be obtained through Cincinnati’s League for Animal Welfare, The Scratching Post and various organizations funded by The Joanie Bernard Foundation.

Rescue a Friend

Despite the stigma, shelter cats are just as lovable, playful and personality-filled as those from a breeder or pet store. Adoption greatly decreases the number of feline lives lost to kill-shelter execution by placing adoptable cats in forever homes and freeing shelter resources for additional homeless cats. Shelters dedicate themselves to providing quality veterinary care and attention to every feline, but only a forever home can change a cat’s life. Rescue a feline friend. Check the What the Foundation Funds Map for Foundation-funded shelters in the Cincinnati area.